NYAL Match 3, Sunday 31st May 2009

It was a delight, in passing by, to observe Lucy Bryan clear 3.30m in the pole vault and set a new League best. Lucy is coached by Neil Winter who set the League U17 record back in 1990. Neil is still the current Welsh record holder and of course former Commonwealth Champion.

Luke Bailey excelled in the pole vault as did Matthew Mattis in the U13 long jump. Grade 1 efforts earned them the accolade of joint male Club Athletes of the Match. The female award is made to Jo Callender-Wood for two grade 3 performances 75m hurdles and LJ. The grades are much tougher this year following a major revision by the Amateur Athletic Association.

The team members appeared to thoroughly enjoy the afternoon achieving some excellent personal performances. Shame there were not more competing.

We persuaded Valentina, in the team for 100m and 200m, to run, for the first time, the 300m. A practice 300m time was about 51 seconds which was rather conservative. Valentina now features on the stats website, www.thepowerof10.info with 43.9 to her credit. A fine time and a reflection of the hard work in training.